Child abuse arrests jumped by 63 percent this year for the Chattanooga Police Department, compared to 2010 statistics.

To date, Chattanooga police have made 85 child abuse arrests. That's up from 52 such arrests in 2010.

The department has a unit that handles referrals from the state Department of Children's Services, tips made through the community or officer observation.

In the past year, the DCS has investigated 169,000 complaints of child abuse in Tennessee.

The figures increased by one last week with the death of 4-year-old Tyre'ke Evans, who died Dec. 19 of "multiple blunt force trauma," according to the Hamilton County medical examiner.

His mother, Patricia Brewer, 23, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Coleman, 21, each has been charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse.

The boy had broken ribs, brain swelling, lacerated internal organs and internal bleeding. He was covered in abrasions and bruises when his limp body was brought to the emergency room at Erlanger, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Tyre'ke's 3-year-old brother, Donamiche Brewer, also was severely beaten that night. Doctors found liver damage and bruises and abrasions covering his body. He was released last week from the Children's Hospital at Erlanger, police said.

Tyre'ke's death is the only suspected child abuse death the city investigated this year, said Chattanooga Police Assistant Chief Tim Carroll.

In many cases, the child's caretaker is the abuser, Carroll said.

"Parents are supposed to intervene when children come in harm's way," he said.

While many have expressed sadness and shock at Tyre'ke's death, it's not a new story for this community.